Phantasm
by Frecklesong
Summary: (Set sort of during events of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, slight AU where no one in TLK: 2 dies.) Simba and Nala have recently given birth to another daughter: Maono. One night, she disappears. Where has she gone, and how did this happen? Will she ever find her way back home?
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

 _It was night. It had been months, the small rag-tag pride had taken to plan the events of this very night. Everything had to go just right. Or else. Scar would have tolerated nothing less, and naturally Zira expected the same._

 _"Vitani, hurry!" Zira hissed, watching the small cub dart into the den of the Pride Rock pride._

 _She'd better stick to the plan, Zira thought bitterly._

 _She blinked in the darkness and waited until she heard dull pawsteps thudding against the stone, nearing her. Perfect. Simba and Nala's smaller, youngest, second, and newest daughter, Maono, rested in Vitani's jaws._

 _"Let's go," Zira said in a low voice, a dark smirk curling along her lips._

 _They would never know what hit them._

* * *

 _At Pride Rock, many moons ago..._

"Where is she? Simba, where is she?" Nala cried, pacing the den.

The sun was high in the sky and everyone else was about their home, hunting, resting, playing. But something was terribly wrong.

Simba was obviously distraught as well, bright amber eyes wide as he searched, called, left and came back to look for their young cub. "I don't know, Nala. ...I don't know."

 _ **(A/N: Maono was the spitting image of her grandmother, Sarabi, who's name meant "mirage." To be fitting, her parents named her "Maono," which meant "vision," and could be taken as a synonym of "mirage.")**_

* * *

It had been many moons. Maono was a young adult, and had lived in Zara's pride since she was born. Or so she thought.

"Come now," Zira grumbled, flicking her tail to Vitani and the others so they would catch up.

They had gone on another hunting try, the third one in the past two days, but again, remained fruitless. Stomachs began to growl, especially Nuka's, although he was frail to begin with.

Silently, the quartet of predators returned to the Badlands. Zira always sneered at that name, at the fact that she was an outcast. But as Maono grew older, her ultimate plan would come into play, and she would no longer have to worry about _that._

"Vitani, you and I will try again at sundown. For now, rest."

Maono had never liked the dry and angry tone Zira always had. She frowned, her lip curling slightly as she veered off in search for a patch of shade to rest in, near the den entrance.

"I'm assuming I'll go patrol the borders today whilst you are out hunting?" she mumbled, her ear twitching.

Zira nodded, flopping down a few feet away. "Yes. In fact, look to expand. Away from the Pridelands, on the opposite side, there must be some vacant territory we haven't exploited yet. Perhaps near the ravine."

The lioness watched the sharp curve of Zira's old shoulders as she shifted on the stone ground, but couldn't bring herself to feel sorry for her. "I suppose I can look," she agreed after a moment.

"That's a good girl," Zira sighed.


	2. Living the Life

"Expand our territory, she said. Expand for what? More thorns and dust? No decent hunting or grazing grounds for any creature," Moano spat, ears flat against her skull as she broke into a canter.

The ground was hot beneath her paws, and her joints ached from walking so far. "Dust, dust, and more dust. Lovely. Dirt. Pebbles. Not even the vultures would land here."

Once Maono was exhausted, she gave up and marked the new edge of the territory, though she wouldn't have even minded being chased off by something long ago.

This seemed logical, except for the fact that the only thing inhabiting this area maybe desert snakes or beetles. Shaking out her fur, she began to make her way back. The lioness could practically feel the waves of the sun's heat cascading onto her body. She flicked her tail in annoyance.

Once back at last, with many stops to rest along the way, she realized that Nuka and Zira had beaten her home. Her jaw dropped open once she saw they had brought back a meal; albeit small. A warthog. Half gone already, but better than bones.

Feeling her instinct take over, she crouched by the nearly fresh kill and bared her teeth as she squeezed into a spot and began to eat. Growls and even sometimes swipes to the forehead were exchanged, as per usual with a kill this rare to come by. Everyone wanted the best and most possible meat.

Quite frankly, due to her physique, naturally larger and more proportionally filled out compared to her comrades, she often won these skirmishes and got the best picks.

At last, there was nothing left to scavenge from the corpse. Licking her maw, Moano and the others settled down to sleep, the sun finally setting.

* * *

A few hours later, the moon rose, and Zira's pride with it. In silence, each lion groomed, and gradually, conversation built up. Maono approached Zira with the same question she had from time to time, determined to get an answer. "Where did I come from?"

The older lioness groaned, her angular face screwing up in distaste for her subordinate's inquiry. "We've been over this. You are my cousin's..daughter."

Maono scoffed, settling on her haunches and looking down at Zira condescendingly. "I can't be in your bloodline, it's impossible. I look nothing like you, Nuka, or Vitani."

With a grumble, Zira jerked her chin forward. "Alright, I found you at the edge of our territory when you were a cub."

"You change the story! I don't know what to believe. Besides, the only Pride around here for me to have come from is..." Maono blinked.

"The Pridelands. Pride Rock. I couldn't..."

Zira got to her paws and went almost nose to nose with the younger lioness, teeth bared and ears back. "No!" she roared.

"As far as I'm concerned, you are mine. You belong to _this_ pride. That is all you know of life, and it is all you _should_ know."

Her tone fell to a sickeningly sweet one. "Besides, a rogue lioness could've given birth to you and left you." A chuckle escaped her, although unconvincing.

Watching Zira relax and slip back down, she lashed her tail in disbelief. "Right. Based on what you told me about the Pridelands, they'd be too soft to let her go without a home. She wouldn't have needed to leave me."

A flame was reignited in the older lioness' gaze, and she threatened to stand again. Taking this as a final warning, Maono stepped back and curled against the dead bush at the entrance of the den. She sighed and rested her chin on her paws, still unsatisfied.

"I'll take dawn patrol tomorrow," Maono offered in a mumble.

Pleased, Zira huffed and turned over to sleep.

Vitani and Nuka, who had witnessed the exchange, watched in silence. They'd never heard Maono question their mother and leader in such a manner. Not wanting to risk Maono's wrath, they too turned away and closed their eyes.

* * *

 **A/N: Feedback would be awesome, thanks!**


	3. Tempers Run High

**A/N: Thank you guys for your reviews, they're greatly appreciated! :)**

* * *

At dawn, Maono was the first to open her eyes. Curling her lip, she turned over so she laid on her other side, away from the sun that now heated her back. She squeezed her eyes shut before opening them, slits of amber visible as she fought to keep them open. Her tail lashed and bat at the gnats and flies that surrounded her. The lioness forced herself to watch the morning dew cling to the tall grasses, some drops falling in the gentle breeze.

Letting her tongue circle her mouth before she parted her jaws in a massive yawn, she stretched her legs and shuddered as she woke up fully. Getting to her paws, she shook out her coarse pelt and nudged Vitani to wake so they may go on patrol.

Whilst she waited, Maono sat facing the sun, tail curled near her paws. Hearing Vitani come up beside her, she stood and started off.

"What happened between you and Zira?" Vitani asked, once well out of earshot of the others.

Maono scoffed, her ear twitching. "Nothing of importance," she said.

The older lioness nodded and they continued their trek in silence, marking the border that neighbored the Prideland's once they arrived. Off again, the pair kept their eyes out for prey. The small warthog they'd shared the previous night would only keep them for another day or two, three if they were lucky. And already Maono could feel her nerves begin to fray, but was indecisive if whether hunger played a role. Nonetheless, she felt everyone would be in a better mood if they could eat.

Vitani and herself marked the adjacent border before heading back home. The other two corners were too far away to travel to and mark with the time allowed for a dawn patrol. It might take a full day's travel to reach them. They hadn't been marked in a long time, for the travel time wasn't efficient to take on without backup. With their small numbers, "backup" meant everyone would have to go, leaving their camp vulnerable to occupation or siege. Even so, the Badlands had enough of a reputation to keep most out without warning needed.

By the time the two females returned, Zira and Nuka were up and about. "Did you find anything?" Zira asked, her voice lingering too long on some words as she tilted her head with a smile.

"No," Maono muttered.

Zira's little smirk disappeared instantly, her gaze following the lioness as she settled on her haunches and relaxed. "I don't know what your problem is, little one, but your attitude isn't getting anyone anywhere," she said in a low voice.

The younger lioness scowled and looked down at her paws, sheathing and unsheathing her claws to sift through the dust. Her claws were overgrown, she realized, and she tried to think of the nearest tree to go work her claws on to eliminate the problem. And maybe some frustration along with it.

"Why don't we just ask the Pridelands for some food to spare, until the rains come again?" Maono had reached her breaking point. Zira's stubbornness was the one preventing them from getting them anywhere.

" _Agh_!" Zira spat in disgust. "You _fool!_ Doing such a thing would emphasize our weakness! How pathetic it would be to crawl to the _Pridelands_ and beg for provisions? I don't think so! We will make do on our own. Scar would be.. _ashamed_ of you."

Maono curled her lip to replace the urge to roll her eyes. She stood. "Oh yes, Scar, who we've never met. His opinion should hold such weight, that I may tremble in an effort to meet his expectations?" she nearly yowled.

Zira bared her teeth, her torn ears flat to her skull. Her shoulders were tense and her legs spread, as if shocked from a swim or exhausted from a fight. "You speak as if he is nothing. His legacy will not be forgotten here," she sneered.

"I've heard only stories," the younger female retorted, jutting her chin out.

Meanwhile, Nuka and Vitani watched on with gaping jaws and wide eyes. They knew Zira was unpredictable. If Maono kept this up, she was asking for a death sentence.

With a final huff, a roar boiling in her throat, Maono jerked her head around and looked away. "I want to take the night patrol by myself tomorrow."

Zira sniffed in acknowledgment, relaxing her stance before taking a step forward, teeth bared as she leveled her muzzle above the top of Maono's head. With a last growl, she asserted her dominance and stalked away.

Heart pounding and ears burning, the latter lioness acted like nothing happened and laid back, belly in the air. She pinpointed the blue sky with her eyes and stared until it hurt, closing them and collapsing to her side, stirring again only when she heard Zira and Nuka depart to try and find food.

The early afternoon wore on, the sky more dim when the pair returned. Nothing. Not a morsel. Or maybe Zira ate when they caught it and decided not to bring any back. An image of her with feathers sticking out of her mouth as proof burned itself in Moano's head, and she turned to look, just to make sure, out of spite.

Proven wrong, she shifted away again with a dry grin to herself and fell back into a light slumber. She would sit awake when night fell, keeping watch when she was unable to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: I know these chapters are relatively short, but I try and update twice a day to compensate. The next one will be up in a few hours or so. Feel free to leave me your thoughts on this one if you feel so inclined!**


	4. Liberation by Night

A full day, she reminded herself. A full day and she could go be on her own for a while. Normally, Zira didn't appreciate ones who offered to take night patrols. It offered too many loopholes for things to go wrong, in any sense. But given Maono's dangerous disposition, she thought it was smart that Zira didn't argue.

Stomach rumbling gently, she fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, she heard branches cracking. Still half asleep, Maono's mind flew to the idea that if was a brush fire, destroying all that was around them. Her eyes sprung open and she got to her paws, prepared to warn the others. No such luck. It was simply Vitani wrestling with a nearby tree, barren from lack of water in the past months. Anything to combat the boredom, hunger, and simultaneous restlessness that often visited the makeshift pride.

Visibly sighing in relief, Maono stretched and sat back, glancing toward Nuka and Zira, both of whom began to wake as well. Zira, per usual, did not look pleased.

"I've had enough of sitting around. Today, we condition."

Ah. Conditioning. Training. Same thing. To prepare their small and frankly pathetic group of inexperienced lions to try and overthrow the Pridelands. Constantly would she rattle on about how "it's what Scar would have wanted."

With a groan, Maono faced Zira more directly. Vitani and Nuka joined.

"Do we have to? We hardly have enough energy to do anything," the scrawny male muttered.

Only then did Zira's eyes flash with anything more than annoyance or fury. She held sympathy for him. Though Nuka didn't appreciate it, he would take it over being ignored, which is how he was treated when Kovu was still around. "Yes, Nuka, it will be worth it in the end. I only attempt to secure our victory."

Maono had to focus solely on not betraying how much she wanted to scoff or roll her eyes, watching her paws knead at the dust and sparse grass.

"Vitani, Nuka, together. Maono, with me." Fantastic.

* * *

 _Back at Pride Rock..._

Kovu padded up to Kiara, brow creased in concern. She seemed distraught today. "What's wrong?" he asked in a gentle voice, his tail flicking her shoulder.

Kiara shrugged, facing him with sad eyes. "I just wish I knew what happened to Maono. I can't believe she's gone, even though she was only a few days old when...you know."

The male nodded, sitting beside her and resting his chin over her head. "She'll come back someday, I know it."

"What if she's not even..alive anymore? It's..it's been years."

Little to either of their knowledge, Simba watched from the den and heard everything. His eyes brimmed with sorrow for the seemingly lost life of his youngest daughter, and felt sorry that Kiara never got to experience having a younger sibling like she should have. A life robbed and a loss for all.

Dipping his head, he let out a heavy sigh and turned to see Nala approaching him. "We return with news. The outcast pride has marked their borders again, which they haven't done in moons. Other than that, our hunt was successful."

A solemn expression was replaced with a subdued smile as Simba carefully used his teeth to pry a leaf from his mate's fur. Nala chuckled. "Come, invite our daughter and Kovu," she gestured, standing to join her friends- but not before sweeping her tail under his chin playfully.

"Kovu, Kiara, come, there's food," Simba announced over his shoulder.

* * *

 _The Shadowlands..._

Ribcages expanded and deflated hurriedly, chests heaving in desperate need of proper breath. Eyes were wide and coats were slick with sweat and exhaustion, a clear sign of physical exertion under the merciless sun.

All four lions had ears pinned flat to their skulls, tails stiff with anticipation of attack. "Enough," Zira hissed, short of breath as well.

Like Maono predicted, the elder lioness had taken their partnership in training to let out some anger and teach her a lesson. She, Maono, had a new nick in her ear because of it, and could feel the dried blood caked to it.

Vitani looked worriedly at her brother, who was worst in shape out of all of them. She ushered him to a small patch of shade.

"Now, if you think me a fool, I will prove you wrong," Zira said with a tired smile.

Everyone looked confused.

"I know we cannot do this alone. So, I was able to regain some of the hyena force Scar once possessed for his purpose. _Our_ purpose."

"Didn't they all flee once Scar dismissed them as "the enemy?" " Maono inquired.

Zira snapped her jaw open and closed before speaking. "Yes! Yes, they did. But I was able to gather some anyways, letting them know that without them, our defeat is eminent, and Simba," she hissed the name, "will have no problem starting to defile them as well. Should they not join us, we will all perish."

"Humph."

Satisfied, Zira was still for a few moments and let everyone relax. "They all make their way here as we speak. They should be here by the end of tomorrow."

Each lion nodded. "Vitani and I will go in search of food. Watch Nuka, Maono, and you can depart once we've come back," Zira said.

Huh. Zira seemed almost normal then. Looking toward her practical brother, she made sure he seemed fine before lying down. It was going to be a long midday.

...

After what seems like a lifetime, the pair return, a small wild hog with them. Small. But something nonetheless. Maono is less aggressive than usual and hardly takes a few good bites before drifting off and preparing herself for being on her own for longer than normal.

They carry on without seeming to have noticed the change, until they are all full. "Don't run into any unnecessary trouble," Zira grumbled, her eyes flickering in warning in the low light.

Vitani and Nuka express their farewells too. "See you guys later," Maono churned out, turning tail and padding away toward the heart of the Shadowlands. Finally, some liberation.

 **A/N: Ok...so uploading two chapters on the same day didn't seem to work out. Sorry about that. Here's a slightly longer chapter to hopefully make up for it.**

 **In the following chapters, we see our conflict and stuff start to really pick up. I'd love to know your thoughts, so reviews are awesome!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


End file.
